Aggression Summary
0.0 / 5
- Created by: Ella Green
- Created on: 12-05-14 12:27
Social Learning Theory
Observation:
- Learning takes place through the observation of role models
- Seeing other reinforced or punished acts as vicarious reinforcement
Mental Representation:
- Individual forms mental representations of events
- Also forms expectations of possible rewards or punishments
Production of Behaviour:
- Aggression maintained through direct reinforcement
- Likelihood of aggression increased if high self-efficacy for production
1 of 25
Social Learning Theory
Bobo Doll Studies:
- SLT demonstrated in young children observing aggressive adult model
- Imitated model, but only if model was rewarded for their behaviour
Evaluation:
- Learning takes place regardless of outcome, but production linked only to reinforcement
- SLT also applies to aggression in adults
- Can explain aggression in absence of direct reinforcement
- Also explain individual differences and context-dependent learning
2 of 25
Social Learning Theory
IDA:
- Cultural differences - absence of aggressive models among !Kung San
- Problem of demand characteristics in Bobo doll study
3 of 25
Deindividuation
Nature of Deindividuation:
- Reduce self-evaluation; decreased concern about evaluation by others
- Leads to an increase in antisocial behaviour
- More likely when anonymous in a large crowd
Process of Deindividuation:
- Social norms usually inhibit antisocial behaviour
- Inhibitions removed when deindividuated
- Conditions that increase anonymity weaken barrier to antisocial behaviour
4 of 25
Deindividuation
Research on Deindividuation:
- Anonymity - Zimbardo (1969) found longer shocks when anonymous
- Faceless crowd - lynchings more savagve when large crowds (Mullen, 1986)
- Baiting crowd (Mann, 1981)
Reduce self-awareness:
- Reduced self-awareness more important than anonymity
- In large crowds, less able to self-regulate behaviour
5 of 25
Deindividuation
Evaluation:
- Local group norms - people respond to normative cues within the social context
- Meta-analysis (Postmes and Spears, 1988) found insufficient support for many claims of deindividuation theory
- Deindividuation may increase prosocial behaviour in some situations
6 of 25
Deindividuation
IDA:
- Gender difference - males more likely to become aggressive when deindividuated
- Cultural difference - cultures that change appearance more brutal in war
7 of 25
Institutional Aggression
Within groups:
- Importation model - prisoners bring violent behaviours with them
- Deprivation model - a reaction to stressful conditions of prison
- Hazing - institutional bullying based on initiation into group
- Product of situational forces and cultural notions of 'male' behaviour and toughness
Evaluation:
- Importation model - some support studies of US prisoners
- Deprivation model - support from prison studies but not institutions
- Hazing - research support among inmates in prisons
8 of 25
Institutional Aggression
Between Groups:
- Staub (1999) - five stages in process of genocide
- Dehumanisation - removal of moral restraints against killing other humans (Tutsi)
- Obedience - Milgram believed situational pressures could coerce people into destructive obedience
Evaluation:
- Bystanders - non-intervention allows killing to continue
- Dehumanisation - may explain violence against immigration
- Obedience - ignores other factors (e.g antisemitism)
9 of 25
Institutional Aggression
IDA:
- Dehumanisation is difficult to investigate empirically
- Ethical issues in studying people who have been subjected to dehumanising violence
10 of 25
Neural and Hormonal Explanations
Neurotransmitters:
- Low levels of serotonin and high levels of dopamine asociated with aggression
- Serotonin normally inhibits responses to emotional stimuli that might lead to an aggressive response
- Mann (1990) - dexfenfluramine deplete serotonin in brain, and led to an increased aggression in males but not in females
- Amphetamines increase dopamine activity - also increase aggressive behaviour
- Antipsychotics reduce dopamine activity - also reduce aggressive behaviour
11 of 25
Neural and Hormonal Explanations
Neurotransmitter Evaluation:
- Meta-analysis (Scerbo and Raine, 1993) found evidence for serotonin-aggression link, but not dopamine-aggression link
- Animal studies suggest lower levels of serotonin associated with aggression and dominance
- Research support from antidepressants that raise serotonin levels
- Dopamine may be a consequence rather than a cause of aggression
12 of 25
Neural and Hormonal Explanations
Hormonal Mechanisms:
- Meta-analysis have established weak but positive correlation between testosterone and aggression (Archer 1991; Book et al, 2001)
- Dabbs et al (1987) - testosterone levels high among violent criminals
- Challenge hypothesis - testosterone levels rise in response to social challenges
- Cortisol - high levels inhibit testosterone and so inhibit aggression
13 of 25
Neural and Hormonal Explanations
Hormonal Mechanisms Evaluation:
- Inconsistent evidence for testosterone-aggression link
- Influence of testosterone linked to dominance rather than aggression (Mazur, 1985)
- Cortisol - link supported by study of boys with behavioural problems
14 of 25
Neural and Hormonal Explanations
IDA:
- Reductionism - human social behaviour more complex, therefore biological factors represent an incomplete picture
- Gender bias - research tends to focus on males, but studies of females also show important role for testosterone
15 of 25
Genetic Factors
Twin Studies:
- MZ twins genetically identical, more similar levels of aggressive behaviour than DZ twins indicates genetic influence
- Coccaro et al (1997) - genetic factors account for 50% of variance in aggressive behaviour
Adoption Studies:
- Possible to disentangle genetic and environmental factors by comparing adopted children and biological parents
- Hutchings and Mednick (1975) - children with criminal convictions had fathers with criminal convictions
16 of 25
Genetic Factors
Gene for aggression:
- Gene for MAOA associated with aggression
- MAOA regulates serotonin in brain, low levels of serotonin associated with aggression
- Brunner et al (1993) - violent men in Dutch family had abnormally low levels of MAOA
Genetics and Violent Crime:
- Inherited temperament or personality characteristics place some individuals at risk of committing violent crime
- Brennan (1993) - genetic influences significant in property crime but not violent crime
17 of 25
Genetic Factors
Evaluation:
- Difficult to determine what is a product of genetic inheritance
- More than one gene contributes, as do environmental factors, and there is an interaction between the two
- Problems of measuring aggression
- Individual differences in aggression due to environmental rather than genetic influences
- Studies of youth violence do not suggest a strong role for heredity
18 of 25
Genetic Factors
IDA:
- Problems of sampling - violent criminals represent small minority of people involved in aggression
- Some violent criminals are not generally 'aggressive'
- Animal studies
- Possibility of genetic engineering creates ethical issues
19 of 25
Evolutionary Explanations:
Infidelity and Jealousy:
- Men experience sexual jealousy because of the threat of cuckoldry
- Sexual jealousy designed to deter a mate from infidelity
- Males have evolved mate retention strategies
- Wilson et al (1995) - women whose partners were sexually jealous more likely to have experience violence from them
- Uxoricide - wife-killing may be unintended outcome of adaptation to control mate
20 of 25
Evolutionary Explanations:
Evaluation:
- Use of mate retention strategies and female-directed violence supports by research (Shacklford et al, 2005)
- Application - use of mate retention strategies is early indication of the need for intervention
- Uxoricide - alternative explanation by Duntely and Buss (2005), killing wife prevents competitor gaining in reproductive stakes
IDA:
- Limitations of survey data
- Most research focused on mate retention stategies by males even though many assaults are by wome
21 of 25
Explanations of Group Display
Lynch Mobs:
- Lynchings due to 'fear of the *****' during periods of social transition
- Power-threat hypothesis - groups that pose threat to majority more likely to be discriminated against
Evaluation:
- Boyd and Richerson (1990) - research support; groups in which cooperation thrived were those that flurished
- Clark (2006) - evidence from lynchings in Brazil contradicts idea of 'dangerous classes'
22 of 25
Explanations of Group Display
Religious Rituals:
- Costly signalling theory - the costs associated with religious rituals signal commitment to a group
- Zahavi (1997) - significant costs act as a deterrent for those who do not accept religion but seek advantages of group membership
Evaluation:
- Religions requiring the greatest displays of commitment last the longest
- Costs of rituals should be related to incentives of group membership
23 of 25
Explanations of Group Display
Sport events:
- Xenophobia - suspicion about strangers, adaptive as helps avoid attack
- Demonstrated in xenophobic responses of Italian football crowds
- Xenophobia more evident with national sides rather than club sides
Evaluation:
- Research support - Foldesti (1996) found link between xenophobic outbursts and crowd violence among Hungarian football crowds
- Marsh (1978) - alternative explanation, football violence as a career
24 of 25
Explanations of Group Display
IDA:
- Lynch mob behaviour can also be explained in terms of deindividuation
- Evolutionary approach - increased intra-group solidarity may lead to increased inter-group conflict
25 of 25
Similar Psychology resources:
0.0 / 5
5.0 / 5 based on 1 rating
5.0 / 5 based on 6 ratings
4.5 / 5 based on 2 ratings
0.0 / 5
Comments
No comments have yet been made